The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
In town and requesting the county do one in North Valley
By Mark Reaman
The Crested Butte town council wants to talk moratoriums. They discussed exploring the potential for a moratorium on commercial development in parts of Crested Butte in which major changes to the code are being considered while the Community Plan that updates the town’s land use code is finalized. Councilmembers also want to discuss the idea of asking Gunnison County to impose a moratorium on new developments in the North Valley corridor.
The moratorium discussion took place at the end of the March 3 council meeting when councilmember Kent Cowherd noted that with code changes on the horizon in Crested Butte, it might be best to have a moratorium that prohibits developers from starting new projects under current regulations in the commercial and business zones. He said that with the announcement of a major development being proposed to the county on the Lower Verzuh Ranch south of Crested Butte on Highway 135, it might also be a good idea to ask the county to freeze other potential future development in the corridor area until a plan can be worked out. The town and county have talked about working on a so-called corridor plan for several years.
Crested Butte town manager Dara MacDonald said it was possible for the council to declare a moratorium in town if they desired. “A moratorium is a tool available to government. It can be blunt or strategically targeted,” she said. “You would want to define the why and what it is you want to achieve. People would be economically impacted with a moratorium. It will likely cause angst in the community so having a long-term outcome is important.”
“Do we want to schedule a discussion and do some analysis and see what the options are?” asked mayor Ian Billick. “For us, it is associated with the Community Plan.”
MacDonald said the draft Community Plan that includes a land use code update would be released for public feedback next week. An open house for the public will be held to gather ideas and an updated draft would return to council for its feedback in May.
“It seems like some of the ideas in the Community Plan give developers more freedom,” said councilmember John O’Neal.
“Not necessarily and that could change during the plan development,” said Billick.
“It is an extremely difficult topic to talk about, but it also responsible for the town to consider,” said Cowherd.
Billick suggested the council discuss the Crested Butte moratorium idea more when the Community Plan comes back to the council in May.
“Now for the county, the council should at least provide feedback to the county over the Lower Verzuh Ranch proposal,” said Billick. “There are issues like trail integration, Accessory Dwelling Units and possible light deed restrictions, potential impact fees for things like parks-and-recreation and mass transit.”
“We should talk to Mt. Crested Butte and partner together to encourage a county moratorium given the impacts major developments would have on both towns,” said Cowherd.
Billick said the town could file a three-mile-plan with the state that included a road plan to help guide development near the municipality.
Town attorney Karl Hanlon said the town could do that and while it would not impact the Lower Verzuh development proposal since it was now an active application in the county review process, it would impact other undeveloped land in the area.
“There is more stuff to come out the barn,” said Cowherd.
“It is very unfortunate we didn’t get ahead of Lower Verzuh with the Corridor Plan. There isn’t a lot left along the highway, but we can have the discussion,” said Billick. “Should we do a work session?”
“To ask the county to put the brakes on?” asked O’Neal.
“We can’t brake the Verzuh property but perhaps other projects,” said Billick. “The county does have other tools to guide the Lower Verzuh Ranch proposal so there are some things to talk about.”
MacDonald said she would include a draft letter from the council to the county for council review in the next meeting packet for March 17. That letter will primarily focus on possible Lower Verzuh Ranch development issues important to the town but also include the request to discuss the possibility of a county moratorium being imposed in the North Valley corridor area.
